El Salvador buries its oldest woman who died at age 128

Salvadorans buried the country's oldest known living person on Friday: Cruz Hernandez, who was 128 years old according to the government.

Photo: El Salvador buries its oldest woman who died at age 128

Hernandez was born May 3, 1878, according to her government-issued identity card. Community members said she worked as a midwife for years until she turned 100, and was beloved by all in the city of San Agustin, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) east of the capital of San Salvador.

Hernandez did not have a birth certificate, but the government confirmed her age in 2005 after an investigation. If her age was accurate, Hernandez would have been the oldest living woman in the world - perhaps ever.

According to the Gerontology Research Group at the UCLA School of Medicine, which documents people over 100, the longest-living person ever was Jeanne Calment, a French woman who was 122 years old when she died in 1997, the AP says.

On its Web site the group lists the world's oldest living person as Yone Minagawa, of Japan, who turned 114 on Jan. 4.

Hernandez is survived by more than 200 relatives, including children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

Nearly 100 people, mostly family, attended the funeral services.